Champs-Elysees

A contingent of 21 soldiers from the Luxembourg Army will march in the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Tuesday, 14 July. The annual military parade is the highlight of France's National Day celebrations, drawing international attention and high-profile guests. The Luxembourg Army said its representatives are "fully prepared after an intensive week of training on the Champs-Elysees and at the Satory military grounds".[1]

This year's festivities will take place under the theme "Europe's Strategic Awakening", highlighting the increasing focus on security and defence cooperation within the European Union. The theme is not ceremonial. It is a statement about the direction of European security policy, and Luxembourg is being placed inside that statement.[1]

The Coalition of the Willing

Prime Minister Luc Frieden will attend Tuesday's commemorations in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. Prior to the official parade, Frieden will participate in a meeting of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" on Monday. The group is dedicated to supporting Ukraine in its ongoing conflict and strengthening security across the European Union.[1]

The meeting before the parade is where the substantive work happens. The parade is the public face of it. Twenty-one soldiers marching on the Champs-Elysees is a signal that Luxembourg is part of the European security architecture, not as a major military power, but as a participant. The army has around 900 active personnel. Twenty-one of them marching in Paris is a meaningful percentage.[1]

Two national days

Luxembourg celebrated its own National Day on June 23, with a parade that was adapted for the heatwave, shortened routes, earlier timings, water stations. Three weeks later, Luxembourg's soldiers are marching in another country's national celebration. The two events are connected. National Day is about identity. Bastille Day is about alliance. Both are about who you stand with.[1]

The theme "Europe's Strategic Awakening" will be visible on the Champs-Elysees on Tuesday. The awakening has been happening for some time. The war in Ukraine is the reason. The coalition meeting before the parade is the mechanism. The 21 soldiers from Luxembourg are the proof that even the smallest armies in the alliance have a role in the picture.[1]